Cavitation In centrifugal pump

Cavitation is the formation of vapour bubbles in any flow &

liquid that is subject to an ambient pressure equal to or less
than the vapour pressure of the liquid at a given temperature
and Cavitation occurs when a fluid's operational pressure
drops below it's vapor pressure causing gas pockets and bubbles
to form and collapse.
Vapor Pressure

Cavitation
A phenomenon which occurs within a moving liquid when the static
pressure at some location falls to or below the vapor pressure of the liquid.

Pump cavitation in the presence of

cavitation will subject to :
Erosion of metal (blade) due to collapse of bubbles
Noise & vibration due to collapse of bubbles.
Lowering the efficiency & output with reduction in
pressure, the cavity formed increase the size until
it interface with the flow of the liquid , the result is
loss in head & increase in power.

Cavitation parameters:
The common cavitation parameters used for
describing the suction characteristic of centrifugal
pump.
1-Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH)
2- Suction Specific speed (NSS)
NPSHR

3-Thomas Cavitation number th

H
4- Cavitation number
gNPSHR p1abs pvabs

b 0.5W 2

0.5W 2

(1) Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH)

It denotes to difference in the total head on the
suction side near the pump impeller inlet and the
head corresponding to the vapour pressure of
pumped liquid.
2

ps (abs) pv (abs) Vs
NPSH

2g

Ps=absolute press. at the pump inlet (psg+patm)

Pv=vapour press. of liquid
Vs=velocity of liquid at suction inlet
Psg= can be calculated from application of B.E. eqn.
b/w the point at level of liquid surface in suction
vessel& the inlet of the pump..
NPSHA
NPSH
NPSHR

Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH)

NPSHA depends on(only) the characteristic of
the fluid system it represents the actual net
absolute suction press. At the pump inlet.
NPSHR the min. suction head requireda the
inlet of the impeller to ensure that the liquid
will not cavitate under the pressure reduction.
It depends only on the impeller inlet geometry
& the rotation speed.
To avoid Cavitation (NPSH)A > (NPSH)R

Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH)

No Cavit.

The required NPSHR is the

value that must be
maintained to avoid
cavitation.
The available NPSHA
represents the head loss that
actually occurs for the
system.

Cavit.

NPSHA

Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH)

The required NPSHR is the
value that must be
maintained to avoid
cavitation.
The available NPSHA
represents the head loss that
actually occurs for the
system.

(NPSH)A > (NPSH)R

10

Appling B.E. B/W 1 and 2:

V2
p
p
V2
1 1 z 2 2 z H
L1 2
1
2

2g

2g
p
Vs2
2
0.0

z H L1 2
2

2g
2
p
2 psg [ H Vs H
s.s
L1 2 ]

2g
psg
Vs2
ps
Patm
Patm

[ H s . s
H L1 2 ]

2g

psg
Vs2
ps
Patm

[ H s . s
H L1 2 ] H atm
abs

2g
V2
ps
H atm [ H s . s s H L1 2 ]
abs
2g
Vs2
ps
pv
NPSHA

2g
Vs2
Vs2
NPSHA H atm [ H s . s
H L1 2 ] H v
2g
2g
NPSHA H atm H s . s H L1 2 H v

Four cases of NPSHA generally encaused at site have been shown in the
following figure

H L12 KQ 2
Case(2)

Case(1)

NPSHA H atm H s.s H L12 H v

NPSHA H atm H s.s H L12 H v

Case(3)

NPSHA

ps

Case(4)

H s.s H L12 H v

NPSHA

ps

H s.s H L12 H v

 Experimental by various investigation show

that the NPSHR to obtained by
V f21

u12e
NPSHR 1.8
0.23
2g
2g

Vf1=flow velocity at eye of impeller.

U1e=peripheral velocity at impeller eye.
u

1e

De N
60

f1

1.05Q
D2
e
4

Where 1.05 =allowance for blockage of blade

De=Impeller eye diameter.
N=RPM

(1)

 At min NPSHR

uie
4.16 tan 1 B1
Vf 1

Substititing uie & Vf1 in eqn. (1)

NPSHR 0.001046 N 4/3Q 2/3

Where N=RPM, Q=m3/s
Suction Specific Speed NSS
Q
2 N Q

( gNPSHR)0.75 60( gNPSHR)0.75

N ss (Im perical metric) 2500 N ss ( SI )
N ss

( SI )

Specific speed (Ns) characterizes the overall impeller profile shape. Suction
specific speed (Nss) characterizes the eye size, for given specific speed (Ns).

Nss effects the pump failures are

shown in the following figure
Failures tend to
increase very above
Nss=9500
Equation to draw the
curve

N ss (Im perical metric) 2500 N ss (SI )